Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

lilsirecho · 2005-12-20 23:46:59

Procedure.....

#hwd -x
#cd /etc/X11
#nano xorg.conf.hwd..........modify file....ctl o..enter...ctl x
#cd enter

The modification of the file is not recognized if the file is then recalled by the procedure above.

Kernel 2.6.14.3

Does this mean that the copy obtained via hwd -x cannot be edited and be reflected back to the system? It is identified as a "sample file".

The file in xorg.hwd is generated by the system and it would seem a "sample file" does not modify the hwd of the system.

Is there an error here? Confusedjavascript:emoticon(':?')

phrakture · 2005-12-21 00:16:28

Ummm, it's a system file. Are you sure you're editing it as root? Does it have writable permissions? Try 'chmod 666 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd'

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 00:26:49

I am addressing it as root.

Will retry after chmod.

Performed chmod 666 for the file.

Edited the hwd file again.

Recalled the hwd file and found it had not been edited.

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 00:32:31

I bring up a further note...xorg is soon to be upgraded...what then?

Snarkout · 2005-12-21 00:49:24

I couldn't tell you the first thing about nano (I'm a vi kinda guy), but I can promise you that the file made with hwd -x is indeed usable. It's how I have generated every xorg.conf file I have on any arch box. As you can see, I'm able to munge it just fine (look at the filesizes in my two ls outputs).

[root@bukowski X11]# hwd -x
Generating /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd
Your sample file is ready.

[root@bukowski X11]# ls -l /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd 
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 12091 2005-12-20 05:46 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd
[root@bukowski X11]# vi /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd 

...snip...

[root@bukowski X11]# ls -l /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd 
-rw-r--r--  1 root root 12120 2005-12-20 05:47 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd

edited, just because.

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 01:07:58

[root@n6re ~]# ls -l /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 12102 2005-12-20 16:28 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd
[root@n6re ~]# hwd -x
Your sample file is ready.

[root@n6re ~]# cd /etc/X11
[root@n6re X11]# nano xorg.conf.hwd
[root@n6re X11]# cd
[root@n6re ~]# ls -l /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root root 12157 2005-12-20 17:00 /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd
[root@n6re ~]#

This data indicates that the file has been edited since the size has increased. The exact data entered is not observable to check whether typos occurred or failure to enter all corrections.

Assumption is made (bad) that calling up the file hwd -x will reveal the new file params as edited.....wrong! ...it lists the "sample" file again which does not show the present state of xorg.

If the entries made by editing are not readable after edit has been accomplished, no "present state" data is provided.

How is such data accessed?

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 01:33:49

If all that can be accessed is a "sample" of xorg.hwd, how can I verify the correct xorg.conf is entered into the system when troubleshooting since the "sample" does not represent the parameters actually present in system?

Snarkout · 2005-12-21 02:14:13

I don't think I'm understanding your question. If you're asking how to put the changes you've made to your xorg.conf file into use, you have to change the name from xorg.conf.hwd to just xorg.conf. If you have an existing xorg.conf, rename that one xorg.conf.old (or something similar) first, before doing this. If you are running X currently, restart X to get the X server to reload it's configuration (usually ctrl+alt+backspace works) once you have made all of these changes. Does this answer your question at all?

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 02:56:44

Snarkout:
I think I have understood you to say that xorg.conf.hwd is provided to allow users to edit that file to their requirements. The edit thusly made has to be placed in a new file, not merely "WRITE" , ENTER and "EXIT" which is done in all other "EDIT" instances. (WRITE= CTL O ..."EXIT= CTL X in nano edit format). Thus, this edit is a special case.

Therefore, one must perform a change when using nano edit, to establish the edited configuration in a new file, which might well be /etc/X11/xorg.conf as you state. (your statement only refers to xorg.conf as being extant and that the file needs be renamed)

I have in my system /etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd as entered by the kernel and do not know its actual configuration because it is not accessible except as a "sample". The sample configuration is supposedly installed in my system and the config installed has an error in mouse config.

I have not found an xorg.conf file in my system other than the xorg.conf.hwd which is just the "sample" config.

Perhaps I need a guiding hand to permit the xorg.conf file to be separated from the .hwd system.

If I should rename the "Sample" file to /etc/X11/xorg.conf, I surmise I could then EDIT the file in that location, but I still would not know what the actual configuration is "at present" to enable the correct changes to be made. This can be done with the "mv" command, rename that is...

The only way to establish it is to use the "Sample" file as is (It looks correct) and enter it in the /etc/x11/folder as xorg.conf and reboot.

Upon reboot, call /etc/X11/xorg.conf to verify it exists, check the mouse for correct performance and EDIT the file as might be necessary if the mouse fails.

My system boots through X into KDE and I would expect the system to recognize the new xorg.conf file in /etc/X11.

Am I setting the right setup info now? This procedure may be of interest to others if it solves my misunderstanding.

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 03:27:38

Performing the transfer of the "SAMPLE" xorg.conf.hwd to /etc/X11/xorg.conf with the "mv" command solved the mouse problem.

No editing was necessary but the system required the xorg.conf to be in /etc/X11/xorg.conf to respond correctly to the mouse.

Thanks for the help guys....

Merry Christmas all...got my present now!!!!!

Snarkout · 2005-12-21 03:48:35

Awesome! I think a large part of the problem we had communicating was a language barrier (though I may be wrong about that). Looks like you figured it out on your own though. Good work!

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 03:52:02

Snarkout;

The awesome thing is that the Arch system performs as advertised even for addle-headed users like me!!!!

Cerebral · 2005-12-21 05:02:38

Just a quick summary, I hope to clarify things for lilsirecho.

First, hwd -x does generate a 'sample' file (/etc/X11/xorg.conf.hwd) based on your hardware. However, that's all it does. hwd is just a hardware-checker; it doesn't care what you do with xorg.conf.hwd after it makes it.

Xorg is what needs the file to work, and it always looks for it at /etc/X11/xorg.conf (like you found out when you moved it). So, when you had only xorg.conf.hwd, Xorg couldn't find your config -- when you mv'd it to /etc/X11/xorg.conf, everything became good.

I hope that clears it up a bit, and doesn't confuse ya.

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 05:25:55

cerebral;

Understand the arrangement well but how did the system function without the file /etc/X11/xorg.conf? And it failed to operate the mouse scroll but everything else was good. What file was operating the system.

The scroll became operable using the "Sample" file as installed in /etc/xorg.conf with no changes..no edits.

That file was there in the system all the time but I was unable to find it to discover why it didn't allow the mouse to scroll.

That was the crux of the problem. Since the system could operate, xorg had to be installed somewhere!!! I needed that file to edit and fix the problem.

The install of the same "Sample" file in /etc/X11/xorg.conf corrected the problem without changing any parameter.

Its like "how do you eat your cake and have it too".

The xorg had to be present somewhere...where? I couldn't find it.

End of story....

Merry Christmas!

stonecrest · 2005-12-21 06:44:05

X will use default settings if no xorg.conf is supplied, IIRC.

lilsirecho · 2005-12-21 07:03:16

In this case , xorg.conf.hwd is the default.....

Arch Linux

#1 2005-12-20 23:46:59

Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#2 2005-12-21 00:16:28

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#3 2005-12-21 00:26:49

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#4 2005-12-21 00:32:31

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#5 2005-12-21 00:49:24

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#6 2005-12-21 01:07:58

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#7 2005-12-21 01:33:49

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#8 2005-12-21 02:14:13

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#9 2005-12-21 02:56:44

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#10 2005-12-21 03:27:38

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#11 2005-12-21 03:48:35

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#12 2005-12-21 03:52:02

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#13 2005-12-21 05:02:38

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#14 2005-12-21 05:25:55

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#15 2005-12-21 06:44:05

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

#16 2005-12-21 07:03:16

Re: Cannot edit xorg.conf.hwd(solved)

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